SMOKERS are costing health services, businesses, local authorities and emergency services in Surrey more than £214 million a year, according to the latest figures from a public health charity.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has released the statistics to coincide with the national Stoptober campaign, which aims to urge people to kick the habit.

According to the figures, the total cost to the NHS in Surrey for caring for smokers is £42.1m, the loss of productivity from smoking-related sick days costs £38.9m, cigarette breaks costs businesses £45.2m and £7.9m is spent on smoking-related fires.

A further £5.3m is spent on cleaning up after smokers’ litter and the cost of early deaths related to smoking is £63.9m.

A spokesman from ASH said this includes the estimated cost to businesses when employees die from smoking-related deaths.

The research states there are around 130,314 people in Surrey with the nicotine habit.

Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care and health, Michael Gosling, said: “Kicking the habit improves health and saves people and the nation money. With a packet of 20 cigarettes costing up to £8, those who quit will soon feel the cash benefit and their bodies will thank them immediately.

“Between this April and June around 1,000 Surrey smokers quit and we’re aiming to keep this going during Stoptober and beyond as the county council prepares to take full responsibility for public health from next April.”

The ASH spokesman added that smoking was concentrated within the poorest households and giving up was one of the most effective ways of delivering cash benefits and reducing inequalities in society.

Each year smokers in Surrey spend approximately £230.4m on tobacco products, with £175.6m of that going toward tax. Nationally, smoking costs the country £13.8bn and there are an estimated 8.3m smokers.

ASH was established in 1971 by the Royal College of Physicians and campaigns to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco. It claims to not attack smokers or smoking.